Keith Lipscomb

  (3:01 PM)

Good afternoon everyone! Let's get right to it.

Tim, DC

Would you rather have Arroyo, Daniels or Conley right now? I have Daniels right now.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:03 PM)

I think you've got the safest option in Daniels, and that's who I'd rather have. He's guaranteed to get big minutes until Arenas returns. Conley will be given plenty of chances to shine, but he'll be inconsistent and still has Lowry to steal minutes from him on nights where he's the hotter hand. Arroyo will eventually give way to Nelson, in my opinion.

Hi Keith,

I'm in a FF Playoff league and need to pick one QB for the entire playoffs...most people will go Brady for obvious reasons, would it be wise to take Romo and hope Brady and the Pats get bounced from the playoffs?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:05 PM)

I wouldn't overthink it. Brady's the best QB in the NFL on an undefeated team. And Romo's poor finish last season and this season's disappointing finish is a red flag for me, at least as far as selecting him over Tom Terrific.

mike - seattle

thanks for the chat Keith. who would be the better baseball keeper for a MI? furcal or b. roberts? basically get the same stats from both when healthy?? appreciate your thoughts......

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:08 PM)

That's a tough call for sure, because Furcal is in a contract year and was banged up last season and still put up solid numbers. You can't go wrong either way, but since you're pinning me down now, I'll go with Furcal.

Joe (Philadelphia)

hey Keith, good to see some hoops discussion. I just wanted to ask if u see any sleepers for the rest of the year, like Al Jefferson last year. I could see someone like Lou Williams or even someone like Jason Maxiell if they get PT.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:11 PM)

You mention two of the top options right there. I still expect the Sixers to shop Andre Miller, which would immediately make Lou Williams a must-own. Mad Max is a beast, but Detroit is so balanced, that even if he were to get 30-plus minutes regularly, I couldn't see him averaging more than 13 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 block or so ... not that you wouldn't take those numbers, but Williams' upside is significantly greater.

chauncey (teaneck)

but don't you expect brian roberts numbers to go dowwn now that he is off the juice?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:13 PM)

Well, if you believe that he only juiced once in 2003, his power numbers took two years to shoot up (pardon the pun), so I'm not concerned about that. That being said, I would be surprised if he stole 50 bases again in 2008.

Lee (Tempe)

Keith, I need to catch up in steals , I tried trading for Caron butler but the guy wants calderon and joe johnson for caron and brewer, too much right?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:17 PM)

You'd be getting plenty of steals, no question there. I guess it depends where you stand in assists, since you'd be losing a significant amount by dealing Calderon. Johnson and Butler can be considered a wash in terms of overall value, depending on your scoring system...but Brewer doesn't have nearly as much value as Calderon on the whole, especially if Korver eats into his minutes.

Bob (NY)

Keith, hows it hanging? Fantasy Baseball Keeper question...i can keep 2 players from after round 7. Russ MArtin, Kemp, Pedro or Billingsley. Which two would you choose?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:22 PM)

I'm one that always feels you can get pitching in the draft, because it is so unpredictable on the whole. I like Billingsley, but I think I would go with his Dodgers teammates, Martin and Kemp. Pedro is too old for me and too much of a question mark in terms of durability. It's a matter of what you value between Kemp and Billingsley, though. I value hitting more in keeper leagues, usually.

Paul (AZ)

I heard that the knicks are shopping e.curry, should phoenix go after him?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:23 PM)

I think he'd just get in the way, assuming Amare was still on the team. I can't see the Suns going after Curry.

Mike (San Diego)

Pick one to keep: Salty, R. Hill, Pence. Thanks.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:24 PM)

Pence. Not even close for me.

chauncey (teaneck)

what if amare was traded as well?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:25 PM)

The Knicks don't have enough pieces to make it worth Phoenix's while to deal Amare to them, in my opinion.

brad (harrisburg, pa)

plain and simple: would you deal Felton for Jet Terry in a standard H2H (without turnovers)? Do you see Terry continuing to get under 30 mpg?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:28 PM)

I'm sure Terry will get back to his usual minutes in time. And I think I'd hang onto Felton unless his shooting is killing you or you need an infusion of threes. I was expecting bigger things from Felton this season, and he's disappointed me so far.

Bob (NY)

Thanks, Keith. That leads me to one more question, do you see Kemp starting for LA? I would be less inclined to keep him if he is splitting time again.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:31 PM)

I do see him starting this season, Bob, but then again, I thought he should have been getting more run last season, too. Andre Either is still there to steal playing time away from him, since it's less likely they would take Pierre or Andruw out of the lineup. Billingsley may be the safer option, but I'm willing to take the chance on Kemp and get a comparable pitcher to Billingsley during the draft, if not get him back anyway.

Cory (Austin)

I have Bibby stashed on my bench, but Marbury is available on the wire. Stay patient and wait for Bibby even though Theus has said he won't be the starting PG and may even move to SG, or risk Marbury and all the Knick/Isiah related turmoil?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:34 PM)

I would continue to wait. You've waited this long and Bibby is a better fantasy option than Steph, regardless of whether Bibby plays the 1 or 2. Bibby's value in threes is the deciding factor for me, even if Bibby's numbers take a slight dive.

Lee

do you think brand will come back this year?...please rank these big men - milicic, haywood, boone, sean williams, kurt thomas, collison...

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:38 PM)

I do think Brand will be back. He's working hard and things are going well, but even he has admitted that expecting to return in February might have been too optimistic. I say he returns by March and plays the final month or so...Ranking the bigs, right now I'd say Haywood, Thomas, Milicic, Collison, Williams, Boone. If Lawrence Frank would commit to more consistent minutes for Williams, I'd rank him higher.

Chris (Orlando)

What up Keith, 2 sport keeper help...P Hughes 24th, Lincecum 9th, Harang 9th or Beckett in the 7th and in F-Ball, V Young 8th or K Jones in the 11th

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:42 PM)

Phil Hughes in the 24th is quite a catch, so I'd be hard to turn that option down, because you'd never get a value like that that late in your draft. That being said, the next best option for me would be Harang in the 9th. He's just a horse!!! For football, I think Mike Martz's departure is great news for you and I'd keep Kevin Jones over VY.

Cory (Austin)

What effect will Bibby's return have on Beno's numbers? Can they both be solid fantasy contributors?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:44 PM)

It's so hard to say, because Reggie Theus surprised once already this season when he decided to play Udrih at the point over Salmons. There's no question that he'll knock Beno's numbers down some, even if Udrih remains as the starter at the 1, though, because Bibby needs to have the ball in his hands. If you get a nice offer from someone in your league, now might not be a bad time to deal Udrih. Just don't give him away.

Addam (SLC, UT)

I drafted Shaq in Round 11 and Wilcox in Round 12 this year, and have had very steady production until they both got hurt at the same time. I'm 6 games out in front right now, can I afford to sit on them both? Also, Shaq's injury seems more serious than they are letting on... your thoughts?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:47 PM)

I think you can sit for at least another week to see how they are progressing. Since Wilcox's MRI came back negative (sprained knee), I think he'll be back soon. Shaq, on the other hand, you never know. As he's gotten older, he's definitely taken more time to return from injury. I'd sit tight for another week as opposed to dropping either of them, unless you're in a very shallow league.

Jay (MA)

Nash, Granger, & Bogut for Carmelo, Rudy Gay , & U Haslem! Which side would you rather have?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:51 PM)

That depends on so many factors, Jay, so it's hard to answer that question. But centers and true point guards are hard to come by. The Melo/Rudy crew will score more, but I'll go with the Nash/Granger bunch since Nash's assists alone are considerably more than the 3 guys on the other team. And that's not to mention that Nash helps in plenty of other areas, as well.

Lee

you mentioned louis williams and maxiel as break out potentials...what are your other possible "diaws" or "jeffersons" out there?

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:56 PM)

It's so tough to see a total breakout coming in the NBA right now, with playing time so sporadic for the youngsters, so I'll go with a guy who you could get on the cheap - Kirk Hinrich. While he's not sexy and may not blow up, it's hard to imagine him remaining at 11 ppg for the entire season. And with T-Mac always banged up, guys like Rafer Alston and Bonzi Wells should prove quite useful, depending on which categories you need.

chris (hartford, ct)

I hate, hate, hate, counting TOs as a stat. What's a good replacement stat for TO in a H2H league for next year? we have 3s, pts, ft%, fg%, rebounds, steals, blocks, and TO currently.

Keith Lipscomb

  (3:57 PM)

I don't see assists listed here, but even if you are using assists as a category, it's not "doubling up" to use assist-to-turnover ratio. This way, it's not such a negative stat.

Chase (Holland, MI)

No Baseball questions??? I know taking the best players in the early rounds are obvious, but should there be higher focus on drafting your outfiled earlier, or your mid. infielder's first since they are hard to come by?

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:00 PM)

Hi Chase. I'm truly someone who tries to take the best available player in the first five rounds or so, before I get too concerned with positions. However, if I'm torn between two or three players, I certainly err on the side of position scarcity. Luckily for us, 2B and SS are much deeper nowadays than they once were, so it's not as hard to decide many times.

Ryan (PA)

Just traded Hunter for Jay Bruce in a dynasty league. Good deal? and do you think Bruce will help me this year?

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:04 PM)

I'm assuming you mean Hunter Pence, Ryan? If so, I like Pence more this season for sure. How much Bruce plays will depend on the health of Freel and Griffey Jr., really, as I see it. I do like Bruce, though, so that could prove to be a very good deal a year from now.

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:05 PM)

OK, one more before I roll....

Shane (Pocatello, ID)

How about Korver in Utah?? Seems like a great pickup by the jazz, but is he someone to target in fantasy??

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:07 PM)

I may be in the minority here, but I don't think this deal helps Korver's value. Sure, the Jazz need him, so it's a good deal for them, but from a fantasy standpoint, the Jazz are loaded with 2s and 3s, Ronnie Brewer plays better D, which Jerry Sloan values, etc. I think Korver's value will remain the same or slightly decline. He still has value in threes, but I'm not excited about the deal, fantasy-wise.

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:08 PM)

I see your post, Ryan...so I'll answer it real quick...

Ryan (PA)

Sorry Keith it was Torii Hunter for Bruce, not Hunter Pence.

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:11 PM)

If you have outfield depth, I like that move for Bruce, actually. While I think Hunter's still got plenty of gas left in the tank, obviously, it's nice to get in on the ground floor with Bruce. If you don't have much depth in your outfield, you'll have to wait to reap the rewards of this deal. I don't know enough about your team to fully assess it, but I do like Bruce's chances to be a solid major leaguer. I'm hoping to see that walk rate improve, though.

Keith Lipscomb

  (4:12 PM)

Thanks for all of the questions and we'll do it again next week at the same time!